What You Need to Know About Hiring a Babysitter

Ground Rules for Finding a Sitter:

1. Allow adequate lead time to be selective.  Look for someone already working with children.
2. Look for a babysitter within your circle of friends or community.  (As a last resort, borrow a babysitter from a friend.)
3. Always check references.

The Sitter You are Looking for Must:

• Be willing to accept responsibility for your child's life.
• Be able to keep him/herself and your child safe.
• Be competent in rescue skills; i.e., care of choking child and infant.
• Be able to stay calm in an emergency.
• Know when to ask for help.
• Like children and be trustworthy.
• Have the attention span to actively watch and entertain your child.
• Have the patience to handle problem behavior: e.g., whining, crying.

Tips for Interviewing a Prospective Sitter by Phone:

1. Establish your connection by explaining your reason for calling.
2. Present the basic facts:
   • numbers/ages of children
   • special problems
   • transportation
   • address
   • pets
3. Ask about experience babysitting with children of your child's/children's age.
4. Ask about any training in CPR and care of the choking infant and child.
5. Go over your expectations stressing that your first priority is to keep your child safe and happily entertained.  Cover any "pet peeves" or restrictions.
6. Present a few "what if" scenarios to determine how the sitter would handle them.  For example, for a toddler, you might ask about handling:
   • a child who cries when the parents leave
   • a child who refuses to go to bed
   • a child with a nosebleed
7. Ask about usual fee. Negotiate fair fee.
8. Schedule pre-job home visit/home interview (optional).

Tips for a Home Interview:

1. Check out appearance and work habits.
2. Introduce child/children and observe interactions.
3. If appropriate, do house tour - including child's/children's rooms, off-limits areas, phones, answering machine, first-aid supplies, presence of alarm systems, and escape route in case of fire.  Go over house rules including:
   • TV/computer
   • Snacking
   • Playmates
   • Pets
   • Inside/outside play
4. Discuss sitter privileges including:
   • Snacking
   • TV/computer
   • Friends' visits
   • Phone
5. Discuss how you want any problem behavior handled.  A "what if" scenario is always appropriate.
6. Ask for questions.
7. Pay attention to your instincts about trustworthiness and fit with your child/children.

Tips for Checking A Reference:

1. Put person at ease about your motives.
2. Ask for general information; i.e., ages of children, frequency of sitting, and usual length of job
3. Explain your situation; i.e., ages of your children, frequency of sitting need, and special considerations
4. Ask specific questions:
   • Do the children like the sitter?
   • Did the sitter follow house rules?
   • Has there ever been an unpleasant incident?
   • Is there anything else you should know?

Etiquette:

1. Cancellation - give a minimal token of one hour's pay to show you value sitter's time.
2. Consider responsibilities of sitter on job - evaluate whether sitter can handle tasks.
3. Snacking
   • Leave teenage food for sitter - keeps sitter from going through refrigerator and shows the sitter he/she is special.
   • Snacks for own children - gives them a special treat while you go out.
4. Time arrangements
   • Model good behavior - be home on time.
   • Be respectful of sitter's time arrangements as their own parents worry - 15  minutes is an appropriate leeway.
   • Call if running late.
5. Give clear instructions.
   • Allow time (15 - 20 minutes) for preparation - do not run out door.
   • Allow time for own children to settle down.
6. Show concern for sitter's safety - encourage safety habits.
   • Do not make arrangements for deliveries while out.
   • Lock windows and close the curtains.
   • Lock the doors on your way out.
   • Have an immediately available adult identified.
   • Leave phone number where you can be reached, fire, ambulance, police.
   • Keep first-aid chart on hand.
7. Minimize unpleasant tasks - have children in pajamas and fed.
8. Eliminate unsafe tasks.  Do not ask the sitter to give baths, cook, or make popcorn - the sitter has difficulty doing two things at same time.
9. Remember birthdays and special holidays - the sitter feels valued.
   • You show you think of them at times when they're not sitting.
   • Your own children see the value of sitter's service.

Tips for the Perfect Ending:

1. Ask how things went - especially with bedtime or any behavior problems
2. Correct any problems:
   • Tactfully correct mistakes.  Be firm.
   • Reinforce rules and rationale for rules.
3. Discover unacceptable behavior in sitter; i.e., alcohol, friends visit - call parents of sitter:
   • Helps teen become more responsible.
   • Calls attention to behavior (don't just not hire again).
   • Helps teen to see it's not acceptable behavior.
4. Pay the sitter in cash - not by check.